What is Travel Tuesday – and what are the best travel deals?

We’ve all heard of the bumper Black Friday weekend – but pay attention, there’s a new day in the deals arena specifically for those seeking their next travel fix.

Happy shoppers and bargain hunters often use the Thanksgiving sales to find the most sought-after deals, with a string of travel deals offering great value packages as providers, airlines and hotel chains lower their prices.

Most deals are predicted to end come Cyber Monday on 2 December as companies halt their busiest sale period for another year.

But, for some, Black Friday is only the beginning. Across the board, several platforms save amazing deals for a day dubbed “Travel Tuesday”, this year falling on 3 December.

On this day, we expect to see even more discounts on flights, hotel stays and related travel deals from airlines and operators around the world.

Simon Calder, travel correspondent for The Independent, said: “In the short term, the dying days of November and the first two weeks of December comprise the lowest of seasons when the airlines cut fares to whatever level they need to fill their planes.”

If you’ve been holding off on booking that holiday, wait no longer – we’ve got all the information you need to take advantage of Travel Tuesday.

What is Travel Tuesday?

The day is big in the US, with booking site Hopper confirming discounts on over 10,000 hotel properties (Getty Images)

Falling the day after Cyber Monday every year, Travel Tuesday is to the travel industry what Cyber Monday is for tech and online deals. It’s a day of travel-only offers and savings offered by hotel companies, airlines, travel agents and more.

Online booking platform Hopper is credited with coining the term in 2017 after finding that the Tuesday following Thanksgiving was a profitable time to book flights.

According to Mckinsey & Company, travel companies have taken note, with search interest for “Travel Tuesday” up over 500 per cent from 2021 to 2023.

Data from the travel marketing platform Sojern indicates that in 2023, hotel, cruise, and airline bookings by US travellers on Travel Tuesday saw “notable increases”, compared with the two weeks before and the two weeks after.

We expect the best deals to be in the States or from US-based companies but keep an eye out as there might be some surprises from other parts of the world, including the UK, as the marketing concept gains traction.

When is Travel Tuesday 2024?

Sometimes called “Travel Deals Tuesday”, the fairly recent phenomenon – less long-running than its Friday and Monday counterparts – will fall on 3 December in 2024.

What deals can we expect?

Last year, big brands, including Ryanair, Virgin Holidays, Booking.com and Singapore Airlines had offers live beyond Cyber Monday.

So far in 2024, several hotel chains have confirmed savings across the day of travel deals.

Hard Rock Hotels will offer up to 55 per cent of stays, Hilton is rolling out discounts of up to 50 per cent off while Hopper is forecasting hotel deals at over 10,000 properties.

Skiiers are also set to save with £100 packages, including flights, accommodation and transfers as part of Heidi’s sale season deals.

We’ll be keeping this guide updated during one of the biggest travel sales of the year.

Tips for shopping on Travel Tuesday

It’s a good idea to browse before you shop to compare prices on the sale day. As ever, set a budget and try your best to stick to it, but also try and be flexible with dates and destinations if you want to save the most money – bundled holidays often have the best savings on Travel Tuesday.

Sign up to be notified by your favourite providers, airlines or hotels, and try and book directly with them if possible, as they usually offer the best savings.